#@@%=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=%@@#
##@¤@%/=,¨ ¨,=/%@¤@##
¤%==,,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,,==%¤
¤¤@%/==,¨¨ ¨¨,==/%@¤¤
#@#¤@%/=,¨ ¨,=/%@¤#@#
#¤@%/=,,¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨,,=/%@¤#
#@#¤@%/=,¨ the alvar fields ¨,=/%@¤#@#
@¤@%==¨¨¨¨ @@@#@#@#@#@#@@@@ ¨¨¨¨==%@¤@
¤@%%=,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,=%%@¤
¤@///,,¨¨¨ from north to south, thirty odd ¨¨¨,,///@¤
#@#¤@%/=,¨ kilometers. from west to east, four ¨,=/%@¤#@#
#@#¤@%/=,¨ thousand meters. from topsoil to stone, ¨,=/%@¤#@#
¤¤%%=¨¨¨¨¨ a foot or two. no roots can fester, no ¨¨¨¨¨=%%¤¤
¤@@%///=,¨ dust can linger. ¨,=///%@@¤
##@¤@%/=,¨ ¨,=/%@¤@##
#@#¤@%/=,¨ here is earth, clay, and sturdy low ¨,=/%@¤#@#
¤¤%=¨¨¨¨¨¨ plants. bushes frame the strip. the ¨¨¨¨¨¨=%¤¤
@¤%=¨¨¨¨¨¨ earth is bare in patches as large as ¨¨¨¨¨¨=%¤@
#@#¤@%/=,¨ you and me. ¨,=/%@¤#@#
¤@%/,,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,,/%@¤
#@@/=¨¨¨¨¨ cross it to get to the ocean, or don't ¨¨¨¨¨=/@@#
##¤¤@%/=,¨ to stay where you are. ¨,=/%@¤¤##
###¤@%/=,¨ ¨,=/%@¤###
##¤@/,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,/@¤##
#@#¤@%/=,¨ ¨,=/%@¤#@#
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#@#¤@%/=,¨ ¨,=/%@¤#@#
¤@%///=¨¨¨ ¨¨¨=///%@¤